Verse 2.625-627

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

स्वमांसान्यपि खादन्ति नियोगानतिलङ्गिनः ॥ ६२५ ॥
जहत्यपि प्रियान्प्राणाञ्शक्यार्थत्वात्ततोऽपि हि ।
अशक्ये विनियुक्तोऽपि कृष्णलाञ्श्रपयेदिति ॥ ६२६ ॥
सर्वात्मनाऽप्यसौ कुर्वन्कुर्यात्तस्करकन्दुवत् ॥ ६२७ ॥

svamāṃsānyapi khādanti niyogānatilaṅginaḥ || 625 ||
jahatyapi priyānprāṇāñśakyārthatvāttato'pi hi |
aśakye viniyukto'pi kṛṣṇalāñśrapayediti || 626 ||
sarvātmanā'pyasau kurvankuryāttaskarakanduvat || 627 ||

English translation of verse 2.625-627:

Those who would never transgress the scriptural injunctions may even eat their own flesh and give up their dear lives, since these acts can be accomplished by them. Though a person is commanded by the text, “One should boil iron pieces,” to do an act which cannot be accomplished when compared with others, (he does not do it). (Though knowledge cannot be accomplished by an act) in any way whatsoever, a person who undertakes to do will do that like a thief who did the work of Kandu.

Notes:

Since knowledge is not dependent on the will of a person, it is not something to be accomplished by an act being commanded by an injunction. What is possible alone can be done by a person, and not what is impossible. A person who is a devout follower of the Veda will readily eat his own flesh, and give up his life if he is commanded to do so, because these acts can be accomplished. But he can never do the act of boiling iron pieces, for it is impossible for him to do that, even though he may be commanded to do that by the Veda. In the same way since knowledge is not something to be accomplished by the will of a person, one will not undertake to do that, even though he may be commanded by a Vedic injunction. If a person chooses to do that, believing that he must do as directed by the injunction, he will subject himself to physical pain and hardship as he has undertaken to do what is impossible for any one to do.

The allusion in the verse is to a thief who took shelter in the house of Kandu. The thief started doing the work assigned to him by Kandu, though he was not really competent to do that work. The police who came there saw him when he was doing the job very awkwardly. They decided that he must be the thief and arrested him. Just as the thief landed in difficulties by doing what was not possible for him to do, so also a person who aims at accomplishing knowledge as a piece of work to be done will court physical pain and hardship without, however, achieving his goal.